Team orders in F1
Throughout Formula 1 history, there have been numerous and often controversial cases of team orders, where a team instructs its driver to give up their position in favor of their teammate. One of the most criticized examples occurred near the finish line of the 2002 Austrian GP, when Rubens Barrichello slowed down just meters from the line, handing victory to Michael Schumacher. The incident sparked widespread outrage, leading Schumacher to bring Barrichello onto the top step of the podium and hand him the winner’s trophy. Later that year at the US GP, Schumacher returned the favor on track, with the two Ferrari drivers crossing the finish line side by side.
Melbourne 2000
The relationship between the two drivers was always rather cold, with Barrichello consistently in the role of the second driver from his arrival at Maranello until 2005. This period saw Ferrari secure five consecutive Constructors’ titles and Schumacher win five straight Drivers’ Championships. Few people, however, were aware—until Rubens’ recent comments on the *Beyond the Grid* podcast—that the team’s first instruction to stay behind Schumacher came during the 2000 Australian Grand Prix, his very first race with Ferrari after leaving Stewart.
The race ended with a Ferrari one-two finish, which Rubens Barrichello recalled while reflecting on his time at Maranello:
“The hardest part was off the track because there was so much more work,” he began, referring to his transition to Ferrari. “There were a lot more media, a lot more travel. There were documents saying, ‘You can say this, you can’t say that.’ People were watching, but every time I sat in the car, I felt the pleasure and gratitude of driving a really good car, and that made it all worthwhile. Take Australia, the first race. I was in P2, but during that race, I was closing in on Michael. That’s when I heard for the first time on the radio that I had to lower the engine revs or something like that. You see, I was prepared for this, but the real pressure for me was when my father, after work, would come to me and say, ‘Son, we don’t have money to go to this go-kart race.’ That was pressure. Those tough moments prepared me for when everyone was watching.” – he pointed out.
His years with Ferrari and Michael Schumacher
Additionally, Rubens Barrichello reflected on the challenging relationship behind the scenes at Ferrari, despite his gratitude for the opportunities he had during his career. He also shared his thoughts on his talent compared to Michael Schumacher’s:
“Would I have done anything differently in my career? Sure, we might have made some changes along the way, but I’m grateful for everything that happened, even the tough moments at Ferrari,” he concluded. “I would spend an hour with Ross Brawn and Jean Todt saying, ‘Listen, this isn’t how it should be done, and so on.’ Now, I sometimes see people only talking to the press. I was fine with the press, but I had tough conversations with them because, guys, you have to let me be myself. Was Schumacher better than me? I think he was. But was it 51-49? 70-30? I don’t know. We’ll never know because it wasn’t a situation where you could be completely free.” – the Brazilian concluded.
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